Electromagnetic reversing relay having roller contacts



Oct. 25, 1966 ERDELITSCH ETAL 3,281,731

ELECTROMAGNETIC REVERSING RELAY HAVING ROLLER CONTACTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 1. 1965 Inventor- HERBER T E 205 L I TS CH EAl Vl/V d/f/VDLATTORNEYS.

Filed 001;. 1, 1965 Oct. 1966 H. ERDELITSCH ETAL 3,281,731

ELECTROMAGNETIC REVERSING RELAY HAVING ROLLER CONTACTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Fig.8 Fig.6

' I II 17"111'228172 I2 In van for:

A TTOPNE'YS.

United States Patent 3,281,731 ELECTROMAGNETHC REVERSING RELAY HAVINGROLLER CONTACTS Herbert Erdelitsch and Erwin Jandl, both of Bietigheim,

Germany, assignors to 8WF-Spczialtabrik Eur Autozubcllor Gustav RanG.m.b.H.

Filed (let. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 492,216 Claims priority, applicationGermany, Nov. 10, 1964, 94,119; Oct. 24, 1964, S 93,897 2 Claims. (Cl.33589) This invention relates in general to relay construction, and inparticular to a new and useful reversing relay having a rollingreversing contact which is resiliently mounted in a lever member whichis actuated by a movable armature.

The invention'refers in particular to a relay of a type which may beused for reversing electrical connections such as for switching from ahigh to a low beam or vice versa in an automobile lighting circuit.Prior to the present invention relays of this type have a basicdisadvantage inasmuch as they effect a temporary complete disconnectionof the lighting circuit during the switching action so that there willbe a darkening of the drivers field of vision in front of the vehiclewhich could have a very disadvantageous effect on the trafiic. A furtherdisadvantage in the relays of the prior art which are used for suchpurposes is that there is a tendency for them to remain in the neutralposition without effecting the switching of the lights for a longerperiod than is desired, and this may also lead to a dangerous trafiicsituation.

Further disadvantages in the prior art relay constructions are the formof the contacts. Because the cont-acts are movable from engagement withone terminal element to engagement with another, there is a migration ofmaterial fromthe con-tact points and wear, despite the use of a veryhigh grade material such as silver.

A further disadvantage is that when the contact elements are separated,there is a tendency to arcing which will cause a fouling of the contactpoints.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a relay in which thedisadvantages of the prior art are eliminated. In accordance with theinvention, the relay includes a first lead or terminal which, forexample, may be a positive lead which is connected with at least twonegative leads or contact sheets through a displaceable contact whichadvantageously comprises a roller element. In the preferred arrangementone of the contact elements, for example the positive lead, is arrangedon one side of a defined trackway and the two negative leads arearranged on the opposite side in spaced relationship. The movablecontact which completes the circuit between the positive and one of thenegative leads and provides for contact with both negative leads duringthe transition period is a rollable contact which is rolled along thetrackway defined between the terminals to effect the switchingoperation. In the preferred arrangement, the terminals which are to beswitched are advantageously constructed so that the movable contact willremain in engagement with the first one when the switching operation isalready being carried out to complete the circuit to the second and viceversa. For this purpose the contact elements are advantageously formedas sheets which are shaped so that a gap is formed between them which isbridged by the roller contact means. The gap is preferably ofisetangularly and the roller contact means may comprise two roller elementsor a single rolling ball memher.

A relay constructed in accordance with the invention thus provides acontact switching means which insures that the circuit to the lights,for example, of an automo- 3,281,731 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 bile ismaintained connected to the energy source even during a switching periodfrom one lighting circuit to another. The construction is such that thelighting filament for a low beam, for example, will remain under voltageuntil the filament for the high beam is supplied with voltage and lightsup and vice versa. With the inventive relay construction it is feasibleto employ simple brass strips rather than silver as contact sheets.

A feature of the construction is that the brass strips may be easilyproduced and stamped out as sheet elements with projecting ends whichmay be used for plugin connections, for example. Because the reversingcontact is designed as a rolling element, there is very little migrationof the material of the contact sheets and, in addition, the rollingaction produces a self-cleaning of the contact sheets in an advantageousmanner so that good current connection is insured at all times.

Because the contact element is a rolling element, there is littlepossibility that the element will remain in a dead point or neutralposition. But even if it does, in accordance with the inventiveconstruction there is still a circuit connection because of theformation of the contact terminals which are always bridged by themovable contact member during the changeover period. Because the movablecontact element is biased against the con-tact terminals, any unevennessof the contact edges of the terminals resulting upon installation willbe soon leveled Oh. The limits of movement of the rolling contact membermay be effected in a simple manner by providing abutments formed byinexpensive sheet metal stampings.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention the contactterminals are made with grooves defined therealong for accommodating theroller contact means. The positive terminal, for example, may comprise asheet having a portion with a depression or stamping forming a groovefor one roller of a two roller contact means and the opposite or leadaway terminals form together a single groove or trackway for theopposite roller. The lead away terminals are spaced apart with the gapformation therebetween being disposed at an angle or obliquely to thelongitudinally extending edges of the lead away terminals in order thatthere will be no possibility that the roller contact members fall intothe gap.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a reversingrelay which includes contact terminals made of inexpensive stampingswhich are spaced apart in a manner such that a contact element movablethereover will maintain contact with each element during the switchoverperiod and until the switching over is completc.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reversing relay whichincludes a trackway formed by the spaced contact terminals to be bridgedand by the connecting terminal, such as a positive terminal, and whereinthere is a movable contact which is operated by an armature for rollingmovement over the trackway to effect a changeover of the connection ofthe positive terminal to one of the other terminals without encounteringa period in which the circuit is completely opened.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reversing relay inwhich the contact switching is effected by a rolling element which rollsover the contact terminals and in which the materials of the contactterminals may be of an inexpensive material such as brass in View of thefact that the circuit changeover is made by the movable contact elementwithout it being lifted completely off one of the contact terminals.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reversing relay whichis simple in design, rugged in construction and economical tomanufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there are illustrated and described preferredembodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a reversing relay constructed inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the relayindicated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of another embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a partial section taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4-;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line 77 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a partial elevational and partial sectional view of the relayindicated in FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied thereinas indicated in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a reversing relay for reversingthe high and low beams of a motor vehicle which includes a fiat platearmature 1 which is mounted by a hinge (not shown) over anelectromagnetic coil 9 for movement of its front portion toward and awayfrom the coil 9. The armature 1 carries an actuating arm 13 having anoffset portion 13a which is adapted to engage in one of two grooves 10and 11 of a switch member generally designated 2 for pivotally movingthe switch member for actuating purposes. The switch member 2 ispivotally mounted adjacent its upper end on a pivot pin 2' carried by anupstanding bracket 40 which is located at the front of the coil 9. Lever13 is pivotal within the armature 1 up to a predetermined amount, andupon actuation of the armature it moves downwardly toward the coil 9.The offset portion 13a will engage one side or the other of a pointedcam portion 2a of the switch 2 to move into either the groove 10 or thegroove 11 depending on the last position of the switch member.Successive actuation of the armature will effect engagement first withthe groove 10 to shift the upper portion of the switch 2 to the positionindicated in FIG. 1, and the next engagement by the offset portion 13awill cause engagement in the groove 11 to pivot the switch member 2 toan opposite direction.

In accordance with the invention, the switch member is provided with ahollow lower portion or depression 15 in which is positioned acompression spring 7 which biases a shaft 16 of a roller contact meansgenerally designated 18 downwardly through a supporting sheet 17 locatedthereabove. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the rolling contact meansincludes inner and outer diskshape-d Contact rollers 3 and 3', arrangedat the respective ends of shaft 16. During the movement of the armature1, the lever 13 is guided in a fork-shaped sheet element generallydesignated 8 which is secured to the bracket 40. One end 8' of the guide8 forms an abutment for limiting the movement of the armature 1 and sidearm portions 8" are bent outwardly to limit the pivotal movement of theswitch member 2.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the relayincludes a base plate 19 of insulating material which supports thebracket 40 and the electromagnetic coil 9. Contact terminals in the formof contact sheets 4, 5 and 6 made of an inexpensive material such asbrass are formed in an angular configuration or offset and they extendthrough suitable openings in the base sheet 19 and are secured throughthe sheet 1? by means of rivets 20; As indicated, the downwardlyextending offset portions 4', 5' and 6 which extend below the base sheet1&

are made in the form of plug connections to permit the entire element tobe inserted, for example, in a switching circuit.

In the embodiment illustrated, the terminal 4 is a positive terminal andthe terminals 5 and 6 are negative terminals which are connected torespective light circuits, for example, to a high beam light circuit andto a low beam light circuit, respectively.

A feature of the construction is that the negative terminal 4 has anextended outer end forming a t'rackway together with adjacent spacedends of the contact sheets 5 and 6. The contact sheets 5 and 6 arearranged in end-to-end spaced relationship and their opposite edges areoffset so that an offset or maze-like gap 21 is formed. The interioredges 5" and 6 of the respective contact sheets 5 and 6 are spaced fromand parallel to the outer edge 4-" of the negative contact sheet 4. Agap 27 which is of uniform width is defined between the positiveterminal 4 and the negative terminals 5 and 6 and provides a guidingtrackway for the roller 3. i

The opposite roller 3' on the shaft 16 rides along the opposite outeredges 5 and 6" of each of the respective negative contacts 5 and 6. Asindicated in FIG. 2, the rollers 3 and 3' may be moved between the twodotted line end positions indicated. In the position indicated at theleft, contact is made between the positive terminal 4 and the negativeterminal 5. When the roller is rolled by movement of the switch member 2by the action of the crank 13 produced by the movement of the armature1, there is rolling contact made first by the inner roller 3 with thecontact sheet 6 while the outer roller 3' is still in contact with thecontact sheet 5. As the movement of the rollers 3 and 3' progresses tothe end position, contact with the contact sheet 5 is broken by theouter con tact roller 3 only after the inner contact roller 3 hasadvanced well along the edges 6" of the contact sheet 6 to establishfirm contact between the contact sheet 6 and the positive terminal 4.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, there is provided aswitch or movable contact member. 52 which is pivotally mounted at 52 ona bracket 54 adjacent an electromagnetic coil 9'. The switch 52 includesa recess 15 which contains a spring '7 which urges a spherical member orball 2 downwardly to engage over fixed contacts or terminals 23, 24 and25. The ball 22 moves backwardly and forwardly in a gap 26 definedbetween a first contact 23 and two second contacts 24 and 25. Thecontacts 23, 24 and 25 are held in position to a base sheet 19' by meansof rivets 20. In this embodiment the trackway defined by the edges 23 ofthe first contact and 24" and 25" of the second two contacts is ofsubstantially uniform dimension to permit free easy rolling movement ofthe ball 22. The two second contacts 24 and 25 have ends which arespaced relatively close together so that the contact-making ball 22 willnot disengage from one of the contacts 24 until it engages with theother contact 25 or vice versa.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 6 to 8 there is provided a base plate forthe relay with contact terminals 111 and 112 connected to respectivecircuits for the high and low beam of a motor vehicle respectively. Theterminals 111 and 112 are connected to a positive terminal 113 through aswitch member 220 which is pivotal on a pivot member 221. The switchmember includes a cavity or recess 222 having a spring 223 therein whichbiases roller spring contact means generally designated 25 downwardly.As in the other embodiment, the switching member 220 is actuated by anarmature 118 having a lever 119 with an offset portion 119' whichengages in one of two grooves A or B. A drive member 117 is locate-dadjacent the armature coil 116 and provides a stop or abutment for thearmature 118 and side stops for the switch member 200 as in the otherembodiment. The contact terminals 111, 112 and 113 are 6- cured to thebase 110 by rivets 114 in a manner similar to the other embodiment. Eachof the contact terminals includes lower plug end portions which extendthrough openings 110" defined in the base 110.

A feature of the construction of the embodiments of FIGS. 6 to 8 is thatthe terminals 111 and 112 are placed in spaced relationship and togetherdefine a concave groove 29 with a separation or gap 228 being definedintermediate the length thereof caused by the spacing of the terminals111 and 112. The edges of the terminals 111' and 112' extend obliquelyand are substantially parallel to one another. A feature of theconstruction is that the roller means 225 is provided with rollerelements 226 and 228 at each end of the shaft 224 having a curvaturewhich corresponds to the curvature of the groove 29 defined on the twoterminals 111 and 112. The Wheel 228 is located to ride on a groove 30defined by the outer edge of the contact terminal 113.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventiveprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A relay comprising a first contact terminal having an extended edge,at least two second contact terminals spaced from each other and fromsaid first contact terminal, said second contact terminals defining acontinuous grooved trackway, each of said second contact terminalshaving an extended edge alongside the extended edge of said firstcontact terminal, an electromagnetic coil, an armature movable uponactuation of said electromagnetic coil, a switch contact memberpivotally mounted adjacent said armature and in alignment with saidfirst and second contact terminals, said switch contact member beingmovable in alternately opposite pivotal directions by said armature uponsuccessive operation of said armature by successive actuation of saidelectromagnetic coil, and roller contact means carried by said switchmember bearing in continuous rolling engagement with said first contactand with at least one of said second contacts and being rollable from aposition in full engagement with one of said second contact terminals atwhich the circuit is completed through said roller contact means fromsaid first contact terminal to said second contact terminal to aposition at which said roller contact means first engages the other ofsaid second contact terminal without being disengaged from the first ofsaid second contact terminals and thereafter rolls to a further positionin which it is in full engagement with the other of said second contactterminals and out of engagement with the first of said second contactterminals.

2. A relay comprising a first contact terminal having an extended edge,at least two second contact terminals spaced from each other and fromsaid first contact terminal, each of said second contact terminalshaving an extended edge alongside the extended edge of said firstcontact terminal, an electromagnetic coil, an armature movable uponactuation of said electromagnetic coil, a switch contact memberpivotally mounted adjacent said armature and in alignment with saidfirst and second contact terminals, said switch contact member beingmovable in alternately opposite pivotal directions by said armature uponsuccessive operation of said armature by successive actuation of saidelectromagnetic coil, and roller contact means carried by said switchmember bearing in continuous rolling engagement with said first contactand with at least one of said second contacts and being rollable from aposition in full engagement with one of said second contact terminals atwhich the circuit is completed through said roller contact means fromsaid first contact terminal to said second contact terminal to aposition at which said roller contact means first engages the other ofsaid second contact terminals without being disengaged from the first ofsaid second contact terminals and thereafter rolls to a further positionin which it is in full engagement with the other of said second contactterminals and out of engagement with the first of said second contactterminals, said first contact element having a longitudinally extendingconcave groove defined therein, said second contact terminals togetherdefining an elongated concave groove interrupted intermediate its lengthby the spacing between said terminals, said roller contact meansincluding a roller axle, and a disk-shaped roller element at each end ofsaid axle one of which is rollable in the groove of said first contactterminal and the other of which is rollable along the groove of saidsecond contact terminals.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,902,559 9/1959Morris 20087 2,951,130 8/1960 Mason 200l66 X 3,024,334 3/1962 Rhodes200-87 X 3,178,523 4/1965 Farrell 200166 X 3,187,119 6/1965 Dyksterhouse200l66 X BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

I. J. BAKER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A RELAY COMPRISING A FIRST CONTACT TERMINAL HAVING AN EXTENDED EDGE,AT LEAST TWO SECOND CONTACT TERMINALS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND FROMSAID FIRST CONTACT TERMINAL, SAID SECOND CONTACT TERMINAL DEFINING ACONTINUOUS GROOVED TRACKWAY, EACH OF SAID SECOND CONTACT TERMINALSHAVING AN EXTENDED EDGE ALONGSIDE THE EXTENDED EDGE OF SAID FIRSTCONTACT TERMINAL, AN ELECTROMAGNETIC COIL, THE ARMATURE MOVABLE UPONACTUATION OF SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC COIL, A SWITCH CONTACT MEMBERPIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID ARMATURE AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAIDFIRST AND SECOND CONTACT TERMINALS, SAID SWITCH CONTACT MEMBER BEINGMOVABLE IN ALTERNATELY OPPOSITE PIVOTAL DIRECTIONS BY SAID ARMATURE UPONSUCCESSIVE OPERATION OF SAID ARMATURE BY SUCCESSIVE ACTUATION OF SAIDELECTROMAGNETIC COIL, AND ROLLER CONTACT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SWITCHMEMBER BEARING IN CONTINUOUS ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST CONTACTAND WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SECOND CONTACTS AND BEING ROLLABLE FORM APOSITION IN FULL ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID SECOND CONTACT TERMINALS ATWHICH THE CIRCUIT IS COMPLETED THROUGH SAID ROLLER CONTACT MEANS FROMSAID FIRST CONTACT TERMINAL TO SAID SECOND CONTACT TERMINAL TO APOSITION AT WHICH SAID ROLLER CONTACT MEANS FIRST ENGAGES THE OTHER OFSAID SECOND CONTACT TERMINAL WITHOUT BEING DISENGAGED FROM THE FRIST OFSAID SECOND CONTACT TERMINALS AND THEREAFTER ROLLS TO A FURTHER POSITIONIN WHICH IT IS IN FULL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID SECOND CONTACTTERMINALS AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FIRST OF SAID SECOND CONTACTTERMINALS.